BK-117 Helicopter down in PNG between Buka and Tokua
 

Reports coming through of a BK117 helicopter has come down between Buka and Tokua.

More details as they become available.

Helicopter has been located floating in the sea. Apparently the engineer has been found alive and the pilot is/was missing.

Any idea who the operator was and where they ended up? Lot of open water in between Buka and Tokua.

Unconfirmed is the person who bought the SWA operation,

Tribal Auroa helicopters, BK-117 P2-TAH, imported into country approx. one month ago. Engineers survived, pilot and owner Phil Emerk, did not survive.

Sounds like a medical event, perhaps.

His name is Phil Emeck.
Does not sound like a medical event at all.
The likely cause is already known, and I will not be sharing it at this time.

Right now his family is in the process of bringing him home.

BM.

Well, not really. If the helicopter has deployed for work on Bougainville it's quite possible a mechanic has also traveled to support the day-to-day operation as a matter of routine.

I think rather strange that local media in PNG was one article in PNG National for the Kimbe accident, no apparent coverage for the Air Tractor accident, and no media coverage for a national pilot and engineer when the BK117 went down. Is there an arrangement where these are not reported?

Light aircraft prangs are not all that newsworthy in the National context, unless there are a number of passenger fatalities. No passenger fatalities in any of those mentioned prangs.

Don't the publishers of The National also operate an airline; could be a bit close to home?

I have noticed a trend in recent years where PNG media report lots of "grass roots" news from PNG but less and less of what might be considered PNG news with international connections, Surprisingly they also seem to report drivel regarding Hollywood actors with no real "news" value.

To me there is almost a revisionist attitude to much of the pre-independence hsitory, with the result that many events (and the people that contributed to them) are ignored, despite the fact that these events and people shaped PNG.

" The fact that an engineer was onboard to me says mechanical"

I can only assume you are not an aviation professional with a stupid statement like that.
The accident happened going into a weekend. The media may go with it tomorrow.
A statement is likely from the company then.

Phil was brought back to Port Moresby this afternoon to his family, extended family, and a large group of friends.
A very sad time for all involved.
My thanks to the aviation community who have sent messages, to Jurgen for recovering Phil, and accommodating and bringing our surviving staff member home.
Phil will be remembered as a family man, good bloke, and someone I respected professionally.

BM.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5a8c3d98f4.jpg

Big Mike I'm certainly not a professional.

Professionals leaning towards controlled flight into ocean?

http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/PreRpts/AI...3%20P2-TAH.pdf